As we get closer to the start of the NFL regular season, many teams are in search of players who are still available through free agency or, in some cases, through trades. The Cleveland Browns are no different.
General manager Andrew Berry is working the phones at this point in the preseason, and he’s probably got his eye on a few specific areas of his team that still need help. One clear need is at the cornerback position.
That need was exposed in Cleveland’s first preseason game against the Chicago Bears on Saturday. The Browns got embarrassed in the second half, especially in their secondary, as the Bears scored 34 straight points in a 34-10 win.
Granted, the points came against the third- and fourth-stringers, but it just reinforced the need Cleveland has to find depth on the defensive side of the ball. The Browns’ secondary gave up three passing touchdowns that included passes of 6 yards, 25 yards, and 49 yards.
Cleveland has two of the best at the position in Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell. But beyond that, there are many questions. The Browns brought in Damarri Mathis to compete for a roster spot, but he suffered a severe lower-leg injury last week at practice and was placed on season-ending injured reserve. He missed all of the 2025 season with a torn ACL while a member of the Carolina Panthers.
In a recent post on Bleacher Report, Kristopher Knox discussed one player from each NFL team that he thought should be traded in the lead-up to the regular season. He picked quarterback Dillon Gabriel as the Browns’ player.
As for Cleveland needing help at corner, an off-and-on three-year starter from the Green Bay Packers was on Knox’s list of potential trade candidates. That player is Carrington Valentine. He was originally drafted by the Packers in 2023 in the seventh round. Despite the low-round selection, Valentine has been a steady presence for the Green Bay secondary.
Carrington Valentine checks every box Andrew Berry looks for in a trade target
Valentine’s numbers slipped a bit in 2025 after starting 11 games for the Packers. And with Green Bay drafting a couple of new corners this year, including Bradon Cisse in the second round, and Valentine entering his last season on his rookie contract, some believe that trading him now would make sense. The Packers could save about $3.7 million in cap space if they traded Valentine.
This type of trade just screams “Andrew Berry” and the Browns. Berry loves acquiring players entering the final year of their rookie contracts. That way, he can manipulate the contract numbers to benefit both the player and his team.
Now, after his team’s first preseason game, it’s become even more evident that Berry needs to make a move or two to help shore up the holes in the secondary.
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